Rigging tool



May'30, 1933. J. R. CARROLL 1,911,429

RIGGING TOOL Filed Sept. 6, 1932 [47' rop/v5 Ys Patented May 30, 1933 PATENT AOFFICE'.

JOHN R. CARROLL, F URBANA, ILLINOIS RIGGING TOOL Application filed September 6, 19327. Serial No. 631,833.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT 0F MARGH 3, 1883, AS AMENDED APRIL 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a rigging tool for use in assembling and aligning aircraft and an object of the invention is to improve the present unsatisfactory means of turning turnbuckle barrels and streamline wires in aligning an airplane.

With the above in View, the invention provides an improved rigging tool in the nature of hand pliers in which rotatable jaws are mounted in the head of the pliers and retained in such a way -as to be free to rotate except when pressure is exerted on them by holding the pliers closed. The

Construction is such as to permit different types of jaws to be used interchangeably, each set of jaws being shaped in conformity with the nature of the work and designed to completely embrace or grip the work without damage or injury to the latter.

The objects and advantages of the invention are attained by the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a side view of hand pliers adapted, in accordancewith the invention, for turning streamlined wires, the jaws being in open position; j

Figure 2 is a side View of the same tool with the jaws closed;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross section on line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail view, in perspective, of one of theplier jaws and its accompanying jaw members;

Figure 6 is a side view of hand pliers modified for turning turnbuckle barrels;

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the turnbuckle barrel-gripping jaw members, and

t Figure 8 is a side View of a conventional At present, a cresent wrench is generally used for turning streamlined wires and an instrument in the nature of a drift pin or nail is generally used for turning turnbuckle barrels. A tool of the type shown in Figure 8 is also used for this purpose. These 55 several instruments have `in ycommon the disadvantage of a relatively long arm or hans dle which must either rotatearound with the streamlined wire or the turnbuckle barrel, or else the instrument must be withdrawn from one side of the wire or barrel aid then reinserted or reapplied to the other si e.

Incase of double wires, i. e. wires running parallel and usually 6 to 10 diameters 65 apart, it is not possible to rotate the instrument around with the wire or barrel and it becomesnecessary to constantl withdraw and reapply the instrument. his resultsv in a loss ottime and in wear and tear on the wire and barrel. -Furthermore, yin the case of double wires, -it becomes necessary to force one of the double wires either up or down sonas to be able to apply and reapply the instrument, and whenthe wires are in stii tension, this is often difficult to do. The instrument, if ofthe drift pin. type, will in time enlarge and distort the j hole in the turnbuckle barrel; and the crescent wrench, due to the fact that it grips the vstreamlined wire near the edges, .will nick andmar the wire. j

In the improved tool of the present invention, the jaws grip the streamlined rwire all the way around and the same is true in the case of the vturnbuckle barrel. Hence, there is no possibility. of injuring either the wire f orthe barrel. Moreover, with this improved device the handle of the tool need not rotate aroundra completecircle inturning the wire or barrel. The tool is simply swung back and forth through a short arc without being disengaged from the wire or barrel. Therefore, it is not necessary to constantly remove and reapply the tool in the case of double wires or turnbuckle barrels in close proximity to the wing surface or a strut- This results in a considerable saving in time and labor as many of the interplane brace wires on an airplane arev double and most turnbuckle barrels are in closevproximicy to some part of the structure of an airplane.

This rigging tool is ol' simple construction and consists oi hand pliers l of a conventional and well known type modiied for the purpose of the invention to the extent that the head of the pliers is for-med with a race or channel Jfor slidably accommodating a pair of rotatable jaw units or work-gripping members 2 or 2a. To this end each plier jaw 3 and l is formed with a semi-circular groove or recess 5, the side walls 6 ol" which have inwardly directed portions 7 adapted to engage the beveled or concaved side faces' 8 of the aw units for preventing the latter from falling out of the race when the plier jaws are open. 1

rlhe jaw units will vary in construction and design in accordance with the nature ofV the work for Ywhich intended. For streamlined wires, the jaw units 2 used and as shown in Figures l to`5, inclusive are formed, preferably, from solid cylindrical stock with their meeting faces slightly concave as at 9, to completely and snugly embrace the streamlined wire l0. For turnbuckle barrels, he jaw units 2a are formed from tubular stock and one of the jaw units is provided with a peg or pin Il adapted to enter the hole in the turnbuckle barrel. f

In using` the rigging tool, the latter is applied to the work, as shown in iull lines in Figure 2, andthe handles of the pliers are drawn together to exert'pressure on the aw units, causing them to tightly grip the work and at the Sametime become locked between the work and tliebase of the grooves or race. Hence, when the tool 'is moved to the dotted line position, the jaw units will rotate with thehead of the' pliers and thus, turn thestreamli'ned wire l0. Vlien the toolV has been swung through a short arc, the pressure on the handles is released and the jaw units are then unlocked so that upon the returi'i swing of the plier handles, the head oi" the pliers moves readily around the jaw units, the latterj remaining stationary and in engagement with the 'wire l0. By simply swinging thetool back and forth tlirougha short arc and alternately applying and releasing the pressure on the handles of the pliers, the wirefor turnbuckle barrel is readily turned without the necessity of constantly` removing and reapplying the tool to the work. f l

wire, and Aav channeled head loosely seating said jaw units for sliding movement therearound', said head being responsive to pres- Y sure on the handles oit the pliersV for tightly seating said jaw units against movement independeiitly'of tliehead. v

3. A rigging tool for turning streamlined wires, turnbuclle' barrels and other work about an axis, comprising circular vworkgripping members forfen'gaging the work tov be turned, a supporting head' embracing the said circular work-gripping members and normally free to rotate about the 'members,

and means for contracting'said head yand so exerting pressure on said `members for causing same to move in unison.

4l. A rigging tool tor use in assembling and aligning aircraft comprising a pair oli pliers having the plier jaws grooved to `provide a circular race, a pair of seini-circular jaw units dovetailed in said race for sliding movement therearound, and jaw handles for exerting pressure on the said plier jaws and the jaw units tor binding the same to-, gether for'concurrent movement, so that by swinging the tool back-and forth through a short arcand alternately applying and re leasing the pressure 'ony the handles, the

work is readily turned without the necessity of constantly removingand reapplying the tool to the work. l f

5. A toolor turningturiibuckle barrels comprising apair of pliers having theplier jaws recessed to provide complemental grooves forming a,y circular `race and semicircular jaw units seated in the'said race and being slidable around the; same in the absence of pressure exerted onthe plier jaws, one of said jaw units having a peg adapted to extend into an oriiicein thel turnbuckle barrel. v i

6. A tool comprising hand pliers having movable jaws and means to mount the jaws ufo free Jfor rotation when the pliers are opened pliers are opened and yet capable of engaging the jaw units so rigidly by closing the pliers as to prevent them from turning. 8. A rigging tool comprising hand pliers, rotatable co-acting aw members in the head of the pliers, and jaw-mounting and retaining means in said head to mount the jaw members free for rotation when the pliers are opened and yet cap-able of engaging the 1o jaw members so rigidly by closing the pliers as to prevent them from turning.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

' JOHN R. CARROLL. 

